Wheel-chair tractor.



PATENTED DB0 I. W. SCHMIDT.

WHEEL CHAIR TRACTOR. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 7, 1903. RENEWED OUT. 26,1905.

2 SHEE -SHBBT 1.

nu l I I I WITNESSES ATTORNEYS.

Z SHEETS-"SHEET PATE'NTED DEC. 5, 1905.

I. W. SCHMIDT. WHEEL CHAIR TRACTOR. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 7, 1953. RENEWED OUT. 26.1905.

INVENTOR Jfl';2%%,g 4

- ATTORNEYS.

1DA W. SCHMIDT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y'. t WHEEL-CHAIRTRACTOR: I

Specification of Letters Patent. 1

Application filed December 7,1903. Renewed October 26,1905. Serial No- 284,466.

To all whom it may concern:

! Be it known that I, IDAW. SCHMIDT, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city,

, county, andState of New York, have invented clare the following to .be

certain new and useful Improvements in Wheel-Chair Tractors; andI do'hereby deact description of the invention, suchas will enable others skilled in'the art to which it appertains to make and use'thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters and numerals of referencemarked thereon, :which form a part of'this specification.

- The object of this invention is to provide a tractor-adapted to be used inconnecti-on with a connected therewith, so that the tractor may be either used with the chair orused alone.

Minor objects are to so construct the tractoras to make the same-durable, so as to withof power'to drive'it in side elevation dotted outline and detached; Fig. 2'is a hori-.

stand the effects of road use, comparatively light in weight, so as'torequire the'minimum and the chair when the: .two are connected, and inexpensive to'build.

-My invention will, be found fully illustrated Y in the accompanying drawings, whereinfi Figure 1 18 a view of my Improved tractor and showlng the chair n zontal sectional View on the line a in Fig. -1. Fig. 3 is a somewhat enlarged View of the gear:- ing connectingthemotor ofthe tractor With its rear axle as seen from the rear of the tractor; I and Fig. 4 is an enlarged view, in side elevation, of the tractors driving mechanism as seen when looking in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2.

seat i. In the vertical which ,naled. Each T c and eachj .T e hasan inward 4 02a, are two convergent horizontal tubes ter-' m nating' at their "front ends in a V-shaped union 6 and at their rear ends in inverted- T-shap'ed unions 0. Fromthese latter unions extend rearwardly-parallel horizontal tubes 01, each ofwhich terminates in an inverted T 0. Eachunion receives the lower end of oneof two' rearwardly 1 inclined front uprights f,

while each T 6 receives a rear upright g, which extends vertically for approximately half its -b length and then is inclined rearwardly, as at A. These uprights fand g. carry. the drivers portion of'each T e is formed a horizontal sleeve or bearing-box j, which receives one'of the two bushings 7?, in

the rear axle Z of the tractor is jourprojection m n,-"respectively, the projections a full, clear, and ex 1 clination, while-their lower portionsiare sub- .terially made to die portion ofserve as bearings for the shaft5 ofthe formed on the p v a'mech'amsm for compensating for differences m receivinga tubular braceoand the projec I ,ingly light and of durable construction. By inclining the uprights f and imparting to the 5 upper ends of the uprights'g a rearward instantially vertical, the stability of the portion of the frame comprised in these parts ismaenhanced, and,.besides, the seatt' is be. brought in such disposition relatively to Theunion b is formedwith a vertical tubular portion 1', in whichisi journaled the spin;

' a fork s, carrying the steering- 7 wheel at and at its upper end'the steeringhandleu.

t designates the shell of an electric motor, which may be of any suitable type. 1 The' h'ead'" w at one end of this-shell hasin'tegral straps a2, which receive the left horizontaltn be d. The I head 3 at the otherend of the motor is. formed with a laterally-extending web 2, which is boltedto a bridge-piece 1,

and brace-rod 1a. The motor is thus sustained on the left horizontal tube 03. and the bridgepiece 1. On the bridge-piece 1 is bolted the flange portion f a bracket 4. (See Fig. 4.) This bracket and the head 3/ of the-cylinder motor and two other shafts Band 7.

The shaft of the motorfcarries a pinion 8,

which meshes with'a gear '9', fixed on shaft 7 On said. shaft 7 is another .with a gear 11 on shaft 6, and on said shaft pinion 10, meshing 6 is a pinion 12, meshing with a gear 13,

periphery of the casing 14 of in the speed of rotation of wheels q, asin turn-' ing, which said compensating mechanismmay e'of any suitable type, it being understood that the axle is divided, its adjoining ends meeting in casing 14-. I

15 is a rest secured by clamps 16 to the up-' rightsf and g and carryinga source of power, as a storage battery,'(not shown,) of any suitable type, 17 being the casing therefor. In side plates18, projecting forwardly from thiscasing, is arranged the'controller 19, having Patented Dec. 5, 1905.

. 7 the'axle Z as to properly'placethe 1 center of gravity. A

wheel-chair and arranged to be-detachably q designates the main'or reanw lieel's, the I same'being fast'on tlie axle Z. v

5 whose ends are formed as clamps 2, receiving tubular brace 0 locthe operating-handle 20. Suitable electrical connections between the controller, the storage battery, and the motor (notshown) are provided.

21 is a foot-restwhich rests on a frame con sisting of vertical brackets 22, havingclamps 23iattheir lowerends, receiving the tubes at and horizontal brackets 24, bolted to the brackets 22 at their upper'ends and having their rear ends providedwith clamps 25, se-

cured to the uprights f. Brackets 22and 24:

incidentally impart strength and rigidity to the frame at the juncture of tubes at and uprights f. In the foot-rest 21 is fulcrumed a lever 26, which is connected bya link 27 with another lever 28, fulcrumed on the brace-rod p and connected with one end of a band-brake 29, passing around the casing 14; and secured at its other end to a fixed point, as 30.

, The chair 31 is attached to the tractor by removing the fork s and substituting a belt or other pivot to connect the chair and the tractor,-a steering-handle 32being in that instance attached to the chair and projecting 'rearwardly in convenient proximity to the drivers. seat a, the same as the handle a.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

' 1. The combination of a frame comprising horizontal side members, front and rear uprights carried by said side members, saidrear uprights being extended first vertically and then bent rearwardly at an incline, a steeringwheel carrying supporting means for the front portion of said frame, an axle journaled in said rear uprights in their vertical porhave hereunto set my hand tions, the rear wheels'o'n said axle, driving means operatively connected with the axle and carried by said frame, and a seat sustained at the upper ends of said uprights, substantially as described.

2; The combination of-a frame comprising horizontal side memberaforward and, rear uprights carried bv said side members, horizontal brackets projecting forwardly from the front uprights and'vertical brackets projecting upwardly from said side members, said horizontal and vertical brackets being bolted together, a foot rest carried by said brackets,

a seat carried by said uprights, a steering- .wheel carrying supporting means for the front portion of the frame, an axle journaled in the rear portion of the frame, the rear wheels onsaid axle, and driving means operatively connected to said axle, substantially as described. I I

3. The combination of a frame comprising -horizo'nal side members andtransvers'e braces 

